Phonographic instrument.



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PATBNTED NOV. 14, 1905.

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J. ISAKSON.

PHONOGRAPHIG INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.22,1904.

PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN ISAKSON, OF CLINTON, MONTANA.

PHONOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed August 22, 3904. Serial No. 221,808.

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IsAKsoN, of Olinton, in the county of Missoulaand State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved PhonographicInstrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to an instrument that reproduces sounds inaccordance with the desire or wish of the performer and in anycombination that is desired.

The invention further provides a means for increasing or diminishing thevolume of sound issuing from the instrument, in conjunction with acomplete manual device for manipulating keys to givethe desired toneeffect.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a cross-section of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a view of alittle more than half of the instrument With the back board removed, andFig. 3 is a view of a modification of the arrangement of the horns.

In the drawings, 10 is a casing of a suitable configuration, and it hasjournaled therein a shaft 11, on which is a pulley 1l, that can bedriven by means of the belt l2 and the wheel 13. It will be understoodthat this method of communicatinga rotary motion to the shaft 11 can bedisplaced by any well-known means of operation.

On the sb aft 1l are arranged a series of disks or records 17, that arearranged to have on their periphery a reproducing-surface embodying onetone or note orsound. If desired, this series of dislscan be dispensedwith and one cylinder may be employed with the reproducinggrooves atequidistant points on its periphery, as will be understood. In line witheach of the reproducing-grooves is arranged a key-lever18, pivoted, asat 19, and having' a spring 2O arranged to hold it normally in place. Areproducer 2l is secured to each key-lever, and it will thus be seenthat by the pressure on the key its reproducer will bethrown intocontact with the reprod ucing-groove on its respective record and emitthat particular note or sound. A series of pipes 23 lead from thereproducers to the horns or trumpets 24, these horns being pivoted,preferably, in a structure, such as 22, to permit an adjustment, so thatthe sound can be directed. A valve 25 is preferably placed at the smallend of each horn or trumpet, and each valve is connected with the otherby a rod 26. A cord or connection 27 can lead to a lever or pedal 28.This pedal is conveniently placed, preferably, where it can be operatedby the knee of the performer. It will be seen that by the operation ofthis pedal 28 the valve can be opened to any desired extent or allowedto close, and in that way the volume of sound is regulated.

In Fig. 3 I show a modification where a series of horns are employedconnecting each individual reprod ucer with a horn. The horns ortrumpets are staggered so that they can be fitted in and are pivoted at29, rocking up and down as the key is released or depressed.

It will be evident that I have devised an instrument that can givemusicalreproductions if each of the records 17 is adapted to give thesound of a particular note Yinvvthe scale. For instance, we would employtwelve records for each chromatic scale of one octave. The instrumentmight be made the'full 'seven and one-third octave, and it will beobvious that in this way a performer on the instrument could reproduceanything in the musical line that he desired without having any formerperformance necessary to the reproduction. Each of the records mighthave a pair of grooves for the reception of a pair of styli, thesegrooves being adapted to reproduce tones an octave apart whereby thepressure on one key would produce two notes, one an octave above theother, and in this way the volume of sound would be increased.

The records could be taken off and replaced to Ybring' in reproductionsof other instruments, sucli as wind instruments or string instruments,or they might be placed on the shaft in combination, some reproducingone instrument andsome another, and in this way furnish a more variedset of tones.

Having thus fullyT described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentv A phonographic instrument comprising a seriesof records, means for revolving the records, a reproducer arranged inline with each record, manually-operated means connected with eachreproducer to throw it in engagement with each record, sound-directingdevices, flexible connections between each reproducer and thesound-directing means, a valve arranged in each sound-directing' device,and means to simultaneously operate the valves.

JOHN ISAKSON. Witnesses:

J. ALAN ANDREW, IRMING E'HIRT.

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